Less protein, more carbs 'provides key to healthier, longer life'

Cutting down on protein and upping consumption of carbohydrates may be the key to living a longer, healthier life, new research suggests.

In tests on mice, changing the mix of protein and carbs produced the same benefits as reducing calorie consumption by 40pc.

Previous research has shown that strict calorie restriction can improve metabolism and extend lifespan across a wide range of species, but such a drastic strategy would be challenging for most people and could harm health.

Eating smaller amounts of high-quality protein and a lot of healthy carbohydrates might prove more practical for humans, scientists believe.

Researcher Dr Stephen Simpson, from the University of Sydney, said: "We've shown that when compared head-to-head, mice got the same benefits from a low-protein, high-carbohydrate diet as a 40pc caloric restriction diet.

"Except for the fanatical few, no one can maintain a 40pc caloric reduction in the long-term, and doing so can risk loss of bone mass, libido and fertility."

The mice were observed for eight weeks as they ate a range of diets with different protein and carbohydrate ratios in conditions where food was restricted or provided at all times.

Low-protein/high-carbohydrate (LPHC) diets when food was always available delivered the same benefits as calorie restriction in terms of insulin activity, blood sugar and cholesterol levels, the scientists found.

ageing

Even though mice on LPHC diets ate more - increasing their food and energy intake by 25pc to 30pc - their metabolism was higher than that of calorie-restricted mice and they did not gain extra weight.

If the findings apply to humans, adjusting protein and carbohydrate intake could lead to healthier ageing, said the researchers.